Bougard defends pentathlon title on day one of USATF Indoor Championships

2/16/2018

ALBUQUERQUE -- USATF Indoor Championships kicked off with a full day of multi-event competition. Erica Bougard (Byhalia, Mississippi) defended her pentathlon national title, winning with 4,760 points, the second highest score in American history and just short of the American record of 4805. The men completed four events in the heptathlon with Devon Williams (Marietta, Georgia) and 2015 national Heptathlon champion Jeremy Taiwo (Renton, Washington) in a close battle for first.

On demand video will be available on USATF.TV+. Click here for full results from today’s events.

The women’s competition started with Bougard winning the 60m hurdles, clocking an American pentathlon record in 7.98. Kendell Williams (Marietta, Georgia), sister of heptathlete Devon Williams, finished second crossing the line at 8.11. After a few bobbles midway through the high jump, Bougard found her form again and cleared a season-best 1.89m/6-2.25.

A personal-best 12.76m/41-10.5 throw in the shot put placed Bougard on American record pace through three events, but her 6.20m/20-4.25 in the long jump dropped her back. Needing 2:10.62 in the 800m to break the AR of 4,805, Bougard charged hard over the final lap and won in 2:13.77 to end up with 4,760 points, the second highest score in American history.

Kendell Williams ended up second with 4,505 points, and Alex Gochenour was third with 4,405.

After a speedy 6.86 in the 60m, Devon Williams never trailed through the day’s four events. His only legal long jump won the competition at 7.32m/24-0.25, and he had a solid 13.92m/45-8 in the shot put. Taiwo gained ground in his specialty, the high jump, as he cleared 2.10m/6-10.75 before missing three times at 2.16m/7-1. Williams tallied 3,252 points on the day, 36 ahead of Taiwo.

Competition continues tomorrow with more multi-events starting at 10:00 a.m. MT, followed by several field events and first rounds on the track. Click here for a full schedule.

Fans can tune in to commercial free coverage on NBC Sports Gold starting at 2:45 ET, followed by a broadcast on NBCSN from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. ET.